The world is full of highways and roads that cross over rivers or valleys. For centuries, they have been made passable by bridges, and the oldest bridge in the world is Arkadiko Bridge in Argolis, Greece.
There are tens of thousands of bridges in America too, from 17th century ones in New England to colossal ones like the Golden Gate Bridge. As is true with most things, American bridges are new by global and historic measures. (These are the most dangerous bridges in every state.)
When people began building bridges, civilization took a giant leap forward. The construction of bridges represented mobility, increased awareness of other cultures, and offered commercial opportunity. Bridges helped make possible mega-cities in the ancient world in China and the Roman Empire.
The oldest bridges are marvels because of their use of local materials, curved arches and sophisticated engineering techniques, and also the fact that they have borne witness to so much history. Unfortunately, others have been lost to natural disasters, such as floods and some of the worst earthquakes of all time, or to wars.
24/7 Tempo has compiled a list of the oldest bridges still in use. Some bridges that are hundreds of years old are actually newer versions of even older structures that span gorges, estuaries, inlets, and rivers. Virtually all of the bridges on the list are well known and have had some kind of reconstruction work.
The oldest bridges are found in China and areas of the former Roman Empire, such as Turkey, Greece, and Spain. You will not find any bridges from the United States on the list. The oldest bridge in the United States is the Frankford Avenue Bridge, also known by other names, which was erected in 1697 in northeast Philadelphia. (Bridges aside, this state has the best highways in America.)
The oldest bridge in the world, the Arkadiko Bridge, was built more than 3,000 years ago during the Bronze Age by Mycenaean Greeks. This ancient 72-feet bridge is still used by modern Greeks. The arch bridge is an impressive feat of engineering, as it does not use any binding agent to hold itself together.
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